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Contreras wins Kenai Peninsula Open; Morin is Kenai's club champ

James Contreras has played enough tournaments at Birch Ridge Golf Course to know winning there isn’t easy.

The Fairbanks Golf Course pro just made it look that way Saturday and Sunday at the Kenai Peninsula Open.

Contreras took home $1,750 with a two-day total of even-par 140 to beat runners-up Nolan Rose and Rob Nelson by 11 strokes.

Palmer’s Rose Pelletier, the co-owner of Fishhook Golf Course, was the low amateur and the women’s division champ, putting up a total of 155. Jesse Scott won the men’s amateur title with a 156.

Contreras has been spending his summers in Alaska as a golf professional since 1996. He has played in a lot of tournaments at Birch Ridge during that time, but he only recalls winning a pro-am with a round of 66 about 10 years ago.

He was spurred to victory in the Open by steady play in Saturday’s windy conditions. Contreras had a 72, while the closest to him was the 75 by Beau Forrest, the former Open amateur champ who was making his debut as a pro.

“I’ve played here a lot, but I don’t ever remember it blowing like that,” Contreras said.

Contreras grew up in Yuma, Arizona, where he said the wind blows a lot due to the Colorado River. While he doesn’t necessarily have the low-ball flight to play in the wind, he said he is quite comfortable in gusty conditions.

“Whenever I hit a solid shot, it was going where I wanted it to,” Contreras said of his Saturday effort.

Sunday, Contreras said he knew a round of even par would likely win the tournament. He said he is comfortable out in front of a tourney, having won the Eagleglen Open four times, and it showed as he filled his card with six birdies to cruise to the win.

“I was making putts, and that helps,” he said. “The greens were fast. They were the best I’ve ever seen them.”

Pelletier, the reigning Alaska State Amateur and Alaska State Match Play Amateur champ, won in her first appearance at Birch Ridge.

She had just a nine-hole practice round from Friday on her Birch Ridge resume before she rolled to the win by 28 strokes over Ardie Crawford. Denise Cox was the women’s net champ at 138.

“I love it,” Pelletier said of Birch Ridge. “I think it’s underrated because it’s a short course. A short course can be more challenging than a long course. It’s a good risk-reward course.”

Pelletier said she was told the women’s record at Birch Ridge is 68. She had her eye on that total, but the wind made it impossible on Saturday, then she couldn’t get enough putts to drop in a round of 74 on Sunday.

Pelletier attended Southern Utah University, where she played golf and graduated after just three years in May 2013. She took about a year off from the game, but she’s moved back to Alaska and is dedicated to running Fishhook with her brother, Ryan, and growing the sport of golf.

“Not playing golf for about a year has made me appreciate it a lot more,” she said.

Pelletier liked the friendly environment at Birch Ridge and said she hopes to return and defend her title.

Kenai’s Scott, at 33, won his first golf tournament. He said the Open was his only chance this summer to taste victory, because he didn’t want to consistently be leaving his wife, Angela, with 2.5-month-old Naomi and 3-year-old Nathan to play tournament golf.

Scott survived Saturday with a round of 80, which left him in second and four strokes behind leader Mike Hollingsworth. Sunday, he had a 76 while Hollingsworth had an 84.

“I felt good,” he said. “It was the best I’ve played in a tournament, except on the last hole. I’m very proud of the way I played.”

Scott’s best round at Birch Ridge is a 71. With a par on the par-4 No. 18, Scott would have had a 73. He was 100 yards out on his second shot when golf did a typically golfy thing.

“I was maybe thinking about getting another skin,” he said. “I got way too ahead of myself.”

Scott skulled his second shot so bad he had to hit another from the same spot. He then three-putted for a triple bogey.

“When I missed a 2-foot putt for double bogey — if that was the difference in the tournament — I would have been sick until next golf season,” he said.

Men’s low net was won by 9-year-old Shane Sundberg. Sunday, Sundberg carded an 87 — his best round ever — to finish with a two-day net of 128. Earl Matthis was second low net at 130.

The low junior was Max Dye with a gross of 174.

The major sponsors for the event are the Peninsula Radiation Oncology Center and the Alaska Men’s Run. Proceeds from the tournament go to the Central Peninsula Health Foundation Prostate Cancer Fund, which goes to education, awareness and patient assistance.

Chris Morin wins Kenai’s club championship

Chris Morin won his first Donald R. Morgan Club Championship at Kenai Golf Course on Sunday with a two-day total of 11-over-par 155.

Morin took advantage of the calmer conditions awarded by a late Saturday tee time in taking the first-day lead with a round of 75. After Saturday, Greg Harrington was next at 78 while Chris Murray had a round of 80.

But Sunday, playing in the same conditions as everybody else, Morin claimed the club championship with a round of 80, the second-lowest round of the day. Joe Deveaux made a nice comeback from Saturday’s 97 with Sunday’s low round of 77.

Harrington and Murray tied for second in gross score with totals of 163. Harrington was the low net at 145, while Aaron Cooper was second at 146, Morin was third at 147 and Deveaux was fourth at 148.